He gritted his teeth and said, "Don't panic! Run deeper into the mountains! There are more trees there, she might not be able to aim at us!" But his voice was trembling, and he obviously didn't have much confidence.

The power of Pei Nian'an's shots was still fresh in his mind, and now he saw the gun in Shen Qingtang's hand.

They felt a chill run through their bodies, and fear seeped into their very bones.

Shen Qingtang watched their disheveled retreating figures, her eyes growing even colder.

She stopped, raised her sniper rifle, and aimed at Lu Jin's back. She didn't intend to kill them outright.

She wanted to capture them alive and extract all their secrets from them.

"Stop! If you run again, I'll shoot!" Shen Qingtang's voice carried a chilling intimidation, standing out clearly in the silent mountain forest.

Lu Jin and Lin Peirou froze in fright, their steps halting, yet they dared not turn back, still trying to move forward. Shen Qingtang's eyes darkened, and she pulled the trigger; the bullet whizzed past Lu Jin's ear.

It hit the trunk of a nearby tree, sending up a spray of sawdust.

"Ah!" Lu Jin screamed in fright, his legs went weak and he almost fell over, too scared to move.

Lin Peirou collapsed to the ground, her face ashen and her whole body trembling.

Shen Qingtang strode forward, gun pointed directly at the two men, her tone icy: "Speak! What is your relationship with the men in black? Why did you help them capture Nian'an?"

Lu Jin and Lin Peirou stared at the dark muzzle of the gun, too scared to even breathe, their eyes darting away, avoiding Shen Qingtang's gaze.

They knew they couldn't escape this time, but if they revealed the truth, an even more terrible fate awaited them.

With a gun in hand, Shen Qingtang approached Lu Jin and Lin Peirou, who were lying paralyzed on the ground, step by step, her eyes devoid of any warmth.

Seeing that the two refused to say anything, she raised her foot and stomped hard on Lu Jin's injured leg. There was a soft "crack" sound, accompanied by Lu Jin's heart-wrenching scream, and the blood from the wound instantly soaked through his pants.

"Will you talk or not?" Shen Qingtang's voice was as cold as ice, and she increased the pressure on her feet.

Lin Peirou was so frightened that she trembled all over, tears and snot streaming down her face, but she still gritted her teeth and dared not speak.

Seeing this, Shen Qingtang raised her hand and fired another shot at Lin Peirou's shoulder. The bullet pierced through her clothes, leaving a trail of blood. Lin Peirou fainted from the pain and was then awakened by Lu Jin's scream.

Just then, a scream came from not far away: "Ah!"

Shen Qingtang turned her head and saw Xiao Yue and Xiao Che standing behind the tree.

Xiao Yue's face was deathly pale, and she covered her mouth with both hands, clearly frightened by the scene before her.

Xiao Che remained calm, looking at Shen Qingtang with deep eyes, showing no surprise whatsoever.

"Shen Qingtang! You're so vicious! You'll get your comeuppance!"

Lu Jin seized the opportunity to roar, his voice hoarse, "We were husband and wife for a time, you loved me so much back then, and now you're so cruel to me! You ruined my whole family, isn't that enough!"

"Husband and wife?" Shen Qingtang scoffed, her eyes full of mockery. "I divorced you a long time ago. The divorce agreement is crystal clear. You dare to mention husband and wife? I was blind to have fallen for you back then. Now I only regret not dealing with you sooner!"

Lu Jin was speechless after being rebuked, and could only turn to Xiao Yue and Xiao Che, pleading desperately, "Young Master Xiao! Princess Xiao! Please save us! She's a madwoman, she's going to kill us!"

Seeing Lu Jin and Lin Peirou covered in blood, Xiao Yue felt a pang of pity and tugged at Xiao Che's sleeve: "Brother, should we... try to persuade Shen Qingtang? Isn't this too cruel..."

Xiao Che walked to Shen Qingtang's side, not only not stopping her, but also looking at the two people on the ground.

He spoke calmly, "Shen Qingtang, there's no need to show mercy to this kind of person. But physical pain like this isn't enough to make them talk. I do know of a medicine that can make someone experience excruciating pain without dying, which is perfect for extracting a confession."

Shen Qingtang raised an eyebrow.

Turning to look at Xiao Che, a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes, then she curled the corners of her lips: "I didn't expect that Young Master Xiao, who looks so gentle, would be so ruthless. He's quite to my liking."

Pei Wuwang, who was standing to the side, felt a slight, almost imperceptible pang of jealousy as he watched the two of them staring at each other.